Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	church_n	ground_n	pillar_n	2,625	5	10.3132	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65885	The rector examined about his book scandalously stiled, An antidote against the venom of Quakerism, by John Meriton, who calls himself A.M. rector of Boughton in Norfolk : and his observations remarked, and the Christianity of the people commonly called Quakers, re-asserted and vindicated, from his perversions and aspersions / by George Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1699 (1699)	Wing W1953; ESTC R20277	40,584	48

a partial and unjust Citation in curtailing and perverting his Words to make them look as if writ in Contempt of Holy Scripture where the Rector saith Samuel Fisher has these Words speaking of the Text of Scripture Which Transcriptions and Translations were they neve so certain and entirely answering to the first Original Copies yet are not capable to be to all Men any other than a Lesbyan Rule or Nose of Wax T his worthy Author in his Works has the Testimony of Luke Howard H. Fisher and W. Penn p. 40. Thus this Adversary has injuriously dealt by Samuel Fisher rendering him to speak these words of the Text of Scripture which are spoken in reference to the various Transcriptions Translations Interpretations Expositions Senses and Meanings Thoughts and Conceits of Men who Comment upon them and not to the Text of Scripture purely consider'd The Rector having left out both the foregoing and subsequent Reasons of Sam. Fisher's words which clear his intention both from his Calumny of the Venom of Quakerism and from his insinuating Insincerity against our said Profession I may therefore recite part of them in S. F's behalf he not being here to vindicate himself and the Truth profess'd by him which in his Life-time he largely vindicated to the great Confusion of his Opposers where he saith Moreover how intirely soever the Transcriptions are the Translations which is all the Rule the People have unless the Priest's prattle must be their Rule are confessed to be the most various and abominably and wofully corrupted Witness J. O. who is scarce more busie to evince the entireness of his Hebrew and Greek Text than in evidencing the Erroneousness of all Translations some of which that are most ancient and of most account among most Priests as the Septuagint are gone off quoth J. O. from the Original in a Thousand Places twice told Thus they run the bounds trace to and fro and dance up and down in their dark Minds about the Transcriptions and Translations of their Text which they take to be their Rule which Transcriptions and Translations were they never so certain and entire by answering the first Original Copies yet are not capable to be to all Men any other than a Lesbyan Rule or Nose of Wax for as much as even where Men have them as half the World has not they are liable to be wrested and actually twisted twenty ways by Interpreters whose Expositions Senses and Meanings which are as many and various as the Thoughts and Conceits and Inventions of the Men are who Comment upon them must be the Rule to such as can read them neither in Hebrew nor in Greek nor in their own Mother-Tongues neither Appendix p. 751 752. Now to clear S. Fisher from esteeming the Text of Holy Scripture in it self either a Lesbyan or Leaden Rule or a Nose of Wax but only the Corrupters and Perverters thereof making them such that it may appear how well he esteemed of the Holy Scriptures he in the same Book with the said Appendix quoted against him i. e. Rusticus ad Academicus Printed in Quarto 1660. in his Second Apologetical and Expostulatory Exercitation Chap. I. p. 6. he calls the Scripture a Declaration of those things that were believed and of the Word of Faith that was preached a writing Holy Scriptures Scriptures of Truth Books of Writing that consists treat of and declare in forms of plain true suitable and sound Words various true things c. So that as written in the Spirit the Holy Scriptures may be said to be Homogeneous Writings all of one kind But in respect of the several Businesses written of therein they are Heterogeneous i. e. a Body or Bulk of as various Writings as any extant in the World besides them And in p. 48 49. he condemns Mens Mis-renderings corrupt Copyings and Commentings and making the Scripture to stand which way any Critick pleases And farther saith As 't is my continual Exercise in Works to do it i. e. to condemn such their Corruptions and Perversions so do I here in plain Words exalt the Scripture which they so debase and state it over all their Trash and Trumpery even on the very top of all their long Train of Traditions and over the Archest Title of the Tripple-Crown the proudest Pinnacle of Peter's now Un Peter-like painted Temple the highest Point of that Pompous Pious Pitteous Pillar and Ground of Truth the choicest Chapter of that Holy Church and infallibly Erring infallible Chair And in p. 49. he farther declares himself a just plain and impartial Pleader for the Scripture and a doer of Right to those Holy Writings which are egregiously wronged by both Papists and Protestants c. And p. Ibid. he argues for many i. e. who are falsly suppos'd to be slighters and disowners of Scripture who to give it its due and no more as indeed it is do own honour and exalt the Holy Scripture much more and more truly than any of your exalted selves c. And p. 112. The Scripture testifies of the Word which will endure Thus S. Fisher has cleared the Point of his great Value and Esteem of the Holy Scripture considered in its highest primitive best and purest Aspect as at first given forth quite contrary to his being supposed a Contemner thereof Quest. Do you believe the Doctrine of the Resurrection from the Dead and of Eternal Judgment and the Immortality of the Soul Answ. We sincerely believe and confess the Doctrine of the Resurrection from the Dead and of Eternal Judgment according to Holy Scripture Heb. 6. 2. That God will raise the Dead and judge the World in Righteousness by his Son Jesus Christ in the Day appointed even in the Great Day of Judgment and that Harvest which is the End of the World That the Soul of Man though created is Immortal and never dies Even as these Doctrines are more fully testified in Holy Scriptures by Jesus Christ and his holy Apostles 1. For the Doctrine of the Resurrection see Mat. 13. 43. and Chap. 22. 30 31. Mark 12. 25. Luke 20. 36. John 5. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 19 35 36 37 to the 53d verse Phil. 3. 29. Col. 3. 4. 1 John 3. 2. 1 Thess. 4. 16. Rev. 20. 12 13 14 15. 2. Of Eternal Judgment see Mat. 13. 39 40 41 42. Chap. 10. 15. 11. 24. 25. 30 31 41. Mark 8. 38. Luke 9. 26. Acts 17. 31. John 5. 22 27. Acts 10. 42. 2 Thess. 1. 7 8 9. 2 Tim. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 9. Jude 6. 3. For the Immortality of the Soul see Gen. 1. 27. 2. 7. 1 Kings 17. 21. Mat. 16. 26. Mark 8. 36 37. Eccles. 3. 21. 12. 7. Luke 16. 22 23. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. In the Observation upon this Profession On our sincerely believing and confessing the Doctrine of the Resurrection from the Dead according to Holy Scripture The Rector thus reflects That is according to their Sence and Interpretation of Holy

like unto which his Body the Church shall be fashioned saying That Affliction did still attend these Members of Christ's Body and that this Body i. e. the Church though not free as yet from suffering Afflictions yet shall be fashioned like to his glorious Body J. C ' s p. 332. So that he owned Christ to have a glorious Body above that of his Members Therefore it appears neither from hence nor yet from this Rector's unjust Charge or false Quotation that the Quakers deny the Mediator the Man Christ Jesus as he falsly saith much less that they do Scornfully Contemn the Blood of Christ p. 23. as they are grosly Calumniated and Slandered What he cites against E. B. and W. P. p. 23 24. is answered in the foregoing Examination And as to Christ's Prophetick Office we are satisfied that we own it more than these our Adversaries in that we believe we ought to hear him in all things by his Light Word and Spirit in our Hearts for which they so much slight and contemn us opposing his Immediate Revelation Teaching and Ministry in these days and confining his present Ministry to the Scriptures in opposition to his Light and Immediate Teaching in Man for though Christ did frequently preach from Scriptures yet his Preaching was with Power and Efficacy he had power both to open the Scriptures and the Understandings of them that heard him in opening them and also so to touch their Hearts that they said Did not our Hearts burn within us while he spoke unto us Which Mens meer literal Preaching cannot do nor work those Effects We are to hear Christ in all things him that speaketh from Heaven but saith the Rector they i. e. the Quakers neither do nor will hear him no their Christ within which they are obliged to tells them other things than our outward Christ or Prophet does p. 24. What an Ignorant and Scornful Reflection and Abuse is this as if either we owned another Christ within than the true Christ and Prophet whom we are to hear which is a false Insinuation or else that Christ as within and Christ as without is not one and the same Christ which is false also neither is Christ divided though he be both without and within And where proves this Rector that the Scripture is the Touch-stone to try Spirits withal wherein he takes part with Mat. Caffin the Anabaptist Preacher his affirming the same against the Quakers p. 25. Christ said Have Salt in your selves and discerning of Spirits was the Gift of the Spirit without which none can truly understand or make use of the Scripture If Tho. Lawson said The Scripture is not the Tryer of Spirits as 't is alledged against us p. 25. I find no Scripture produced to prove this Erroneous Christ is the Great Judge and Tryer of Spirits who searches and tryes the Heart and the Reines and it is by his Light and Spirit that Spirits must be tryed and judged not by the Carnal but by the Spiritual Man And what the Rector again cites out of p. 7. against studying to raise a living thing out of a dead and the Spirit out of the Letter c. was never intended to oppose the Teaching of Christ's Prophetick Office for his Office never allowed any such Study Neither do the Quakers deny Christ's Gospel Ordinances which are really such and by him perpetuated Here the Rector imposes upon us and his Allegations fall short of proof And our not continuing under a Literal and Shadowy Dispensation of Types and Figures carnal Ordinances and outward Element but under a Spiritual Ministry is rather an Indication of our owning Christ's Offices his Gospel his Ministry or Dispensation than any refusing to hear him who speaketh from Heaven by his Holy Spirit Light and Grace in Mens Hearts What seems most materially objected hitherto in the Rector's Antidote being answered I may take notice of some Passages hereafter farther to shew what he falsly deems Venom of Quakerism according to his Title and Observations against our Profession Quest. Do you believe or own Baptism as Essential to Christianity or necessary to Salvation and for the ingrafting us into Christ and his Church Our answer is We believe and are fully perswaded That Baptism which is Essential to Christianity and the Saving Baptism or the Cause without which none can be true Christians or Saved is the Inward or Spiritual Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life This is the Saving Baptism into Christ and his Church which produceth the Answer of a good Conscience towards God of which the outward was a Figure 1 Pet. 3. 21. This is that One Baptism of Christ by One Spirit into that One Body whereof Christ is the Head As to Dipping or Sprinkling Infants or young Children we find no Precept or President in Holy Scripture for the Practice thereof and therefore we cannot think our not-believing it Essential or necessary to Salvation or making Christians a sufficient Argument to prove us no Christians unless it can be proved that none are Saved without it and that all are Saved that have it Considering also what 's positively affirmed in the 39 Articles as in the sixth Article That whatsoever is not read in the Holy Scriptures nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And in the 20th Article That the Church ought not to decree or enforce any thing against or besides Holy Writ to be believed for necessity of Salvation And in Article 21 That things ordained by General Councils as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless that they be taken out of Holy Scripture On the first part of this Profession the Rector makes this Observation against us viz. By this their Answer they i. e. the Quakers do not Insinuate to but plainly tell the World what Baptism it is that is essentially necessary to Salvation or making Christians that is the Inward or Spiritual Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart or an Inward Conversion to God p. 26 27. And herein we plainly tell the World the plain Truth according to Holy Scripture And what Venom is in this pray Had not this Rector need to be severely corrected for opposing this Doctrine as Venomous and making the outward Baptism by Water the Saving Baptism and not the Inward and Spiritual As if all the World of Mankind were in a State of Damnation who are not so outwardly Baptized with Water or could be no Christians nor Saved if they be not so Baptized or Rantized as he would have them this is like Dip or Damn Oh! uncharitable and unchristian Doctrine Has Salvation by Grace been preached so long among us and must it now be placed on Works or on such a superficial Work as that of outward Baptism Sprinkling Dipping or Plunging Persons in Water But